Explore tomorrow’s world of sustainable tourism with Planète Tourisme, a serious game designed to train all those who intend to work in the industry. Enjoy this immersive experience as you discover the challenges of sustainable development, the possible solutions, and the tangible actions required.
Get ready to become a champion of responsible tourism !
In 1987, the United Nations’ World Commission on Environment and Development published ‘Our Common Future’ which came to be known as the Brundtland Report, named after its chairwoman, Gro Harlem Brundtland. This report set out the three commonly accepted pillars of Sustainable Development: economic, social, and environmental. The World Tourism Organization states that for some people (especially in developing countries) ‘This industry sector provides a living. Not only by offering a wage, but also dignity and equality, giving people the opportunity to become emancipated and to have a place in their own society, often for the first time’.
Of course, it is impossible to ignore the negative effects of tourism: pollution, excessive consumption of scarce resources, destruction of ecosystems, inflation and gentrification, degradation of natural sites, etc. It is all a question of balance and choice, and this is precisely what learners will understand through this game.
The aim is for each player to complete the project that he/she is assigned at the beginning of the game. There are eight types of project, each with its own specific set of objectives. Participants must carry out all the necessary tasks to ensure that their project runs smoothly, whilst respecting the requirements of the stakeholders involved. At the end of the game, participants obtain a score and associated rating for their project, which will depend on the project’s CSR indicator, the satisfaction of the stakeholders involved, and the different actions carried out.
The goal of such a game is to raise awareness of the different approaches to sustainable tourism. It also helps participants to become aware of what is involved in implementing a sustainable tourism project including potential difficulties. The game also encourages students to think about practical ways of addressing the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which can sometimes prove complex in the context of domestic tourism. Ultimately, the aim is to help students take ownership of Agenda 2030 and encourage them to get involved and act.
The benefit of gamification is to enrich the learners’ experience. The sociologist Roger Caillois suggested a definition, proposing four fundamental categories of play, based on the spirit of play itself and the energy that fuels it: chance, competition, simulation, and vertigo.
An article by Jean-Charles Foucrier (2015) summarised the benefits of using games: ‘The learner derives an exciting pleasure from playing and therefore learning, which simultaneously allows them to become much more involved in the learning process by increasing their attention span, with the correlative desire to reach and surpass the levels set out. Lastly, the enthusiasm generated by the gamified e-learning experience helps to create pleasant memories of the experience, which in turn increases the capacity to retain information.’
Spearheaded by Marie-Noëlle Rimaud, representing Excelia’s INNOV’ Case Lab and Excelia Tourism School, the project to create this serious game was made possible thanks to a collaboration with Game Partners, a serious game design company based in Niort. A first-rate team, led by Marie-Noëlle with Nathalie Montargot, Caroline Murtas, Marie Connac, and Liliane Carmagnac, contributed its expertise in the field of Sustainable Tourism and the SDGs.
